High-Elves
This page is a sub-page of the Official LOTRmod Server Player wiki and concernes itself with all things High-Elven. This page is very Role-Play Adapted. We Elves now have a Facebook group for easy communication, events and tips & stuff. All High-Elves must follow our code of conduct (Rules). See below under "Diplomacy". A High-Elf, or Tarelda in Quenya, is an elf who either livs in Valinor or is decended from an elf who has lived there at some point. Thus all High-Elves of Middle-Earth are of either Vanyarin or Noldorin descent, since no other kin of the elves have ever lived in Valinor and the Falmari never came back to Middle-Earth. Of course the High-Elves that actually stayed in Middle-Earth after the great war, in which Beleriand was sunk, later intermingled with the elves here so that there could in fact exist some High-Elves with Sindarin or Silvan blood too. You as an elf are'' free to choose your own heritage :) . '''Except you are not allowed' to claim kinship to the well know elven characters of the Lord of the Rings and such, nor to claim that you in fact "are" one of them. Here on the Server we make our own History! Scroll down to "Choosing your own heritage" to choose your's. Also: The King is the only one who can give out titles. Unless he has other arrangements with his lords. The official language of the Elves of Middle-Earth has been Sindarin ever since King Thingol of Doriath banned Quenya in the first age. But the High-Elves have never abandoned the ancient language and have always used it as a ceremonial language, thus it has been kept alive. In recent years the 2nd High King of the High-Elves reinstaded Quenya as the main language of the High-Elves, keeping Sindarin as a means to talk with the Wood-Elves and the elves of Lothlóriën. Rulers ''1st High King of the High-Elves'' Glaerdir: Glaerdir, formerly Coolseb1000, was an exceptional king of the High-Elves. He did much good for the faction and acomplished much. He was also an exceptional warroir, fearless in the face of death. One of his many feats was establishing lasting relations with Rohan and Dunland (back when b_boymasterman( 2nd King of Gondor) was co-ruler of Rohan and Evil_Mogwai '''ruled all of Dunland), whom he also managed to to calm down when war was at hand. The relationship with '''Arantoer_II, formerly b_boymasterman, remained intact when the 2nd king of the High-Elves was crowned, and through Arantoer an ever-lasting friendship with Gondor was built. All thanks to the great Glaerdir. Another amazing feat of the king was his builds. He built Mithlond after buying the land off of SinzPet, Lord of Arataurë back then. The tower, the haven and the Palace where truly a beautiful sight to behold! The city was regrettably later pillaged and destroyed by an elf-imposter. But he also built the foundation of the fortress of Forlindon, before his mysterious disappearance. Passage between the 1st and 2nd King: The story of how SinzPet became the 2nd King of the High-Elves (Quenta Neuron: The Tale of the Successor) The King of Lindon, Glaerdir (MG, coolseb1000), marched with his loyal lords and allied men of Gondor towards Mordor for one last battle to cleanse Middle-Earth from it's filth, where they met their armies at the border of the black land.The battle took days, and every day they lost many, with bodies piling up at both sides of the battlefield. And as victory seemed within reach of the kings of men and elves something happened that brought a great confusion upon the battlefield: Men and elves and orcs suddenly found themselves intermingled and no one knew north from south. And it was in the midst this chaos of battle that King Glaerdir went mysteriously missing and was nowhere to be found. After ending the battle with the retreat of the orcs, the elves and the men of Gondor searched for what felt like ages. Glaerdir was not found and was presumed dead, lost between mud and blood of fallen friends and foes. The brother of the king, Internet_Miners, Lord of Fangorn, who was still grieving for his brother felt that he could not abandon his beloved people in the woods and thus passing on the Kingship to the Steward of the king, SinzPet, who, with grief still knawing at his heart, accepted the throne. Thus becomming the 2nd King of Lindon. ''2nd High King of the High-Elves'' SinzPet: SinzPet has since his rise to the throne implemented some major changes to the faction. One of the most notable ones being the reintroducing of Quenya as the main language of the High Elves. And another being the founding of the Council of the High Elves (Read more further down on the page). He has also united the High-Elves more than was previously possible, as he implememnted a new communication system for his race. SinzPet and the council also implemented a completely new identification system, where an elf needs a proof of citizenship document to get access to certain areas or be granted special perks. If you do not have this document, you will not be considered a high-elf. See further under "Joining the High-Elves". This king is known for his Wisdom, and his organization skills, which make him a great ruler. Government The 2nd king of the High-Elves, SinzPet, upon his rise to the throne created a council consisting of the most prestigious elves of the faction. The council acts as the king's advisors and representatives. When he himself is unavailable, the council memebers hold the authority to govern the faction in his absence. They act out his will, help out new elves in their struggle to survive and also handle foreign affairs to the extent of their abilities. As the most renowned and respected elves of the faction they have been chosen to help govern the High-Elves. The council also increases the opportunities for others to be able to contact the "government" of the high-elves, as the different memebers are reachable on different hours of the day. The Council consists of these 7 members: *'SinzPet' *'Internet_Miners' *'Hayoo' *'OculosMortis' *'IronRyts' *'Overlordess' *'Gil-Galad' The picture to the right: Three of the members of the Council of the High-Elves in front of the Palace in Mithlond. Hayoo, SinzPet & Overlordess. If you ever want to contact the king or a specific region or a specific elf, talking to the council members is your best shot. But keep in mind that they might not always be reachable, they might be too busy, so dont be too hard on them if they cant help you right away. Players SinzPet - 2nd High King of the High-Elves and Loremaster of Lindon [, Noldorin Lord of Arataurë (before he became king)]. A Noldorin elf with approximately 20% Silvan and 10% Vanyarin blood. He has traveled across much of Middle-Earth in his life, but his home has always been Lindon. At first he lived in a grand forest around the area where Mithlond whould later be built. He married Valetty soon after setteling down in the forest, where they then built their treehouse high up in the canopy of the forest. One day the mighty High King of the High-Elves, Glaerdir, and his brother, Internet_Miners, came to their doorstep and asked to buy some of their land, which extended all the way from the border of the forest to the shore of the gulf of Lúnë. SinzPet then sold the land at the shore to the mighty King, who immediately began building his great city, Mithlond, which would later become the Capital. The king soon after officially named the great forest Arataurë, at SinzPet's request. SinzPet gained much fame in Mithlond and soon became the steward of the king. He gained many friends among the western factions, most notably: Hell_Metallicus( whom he helped gain the chieftainship of the Rangers), SpoangityBob( Lord of Moria), Arantoer_II( whom he helped become King of Gondor) and Eomer( 2nd Marshall of the Riddermark). (To read how he became king, scroll up and look in the "Rulers"-section.) Valetty - Queen. Wife of the 2nd King Vanyarin Lady of Arataurë (before her husband became King). She shares much of her history with SinzPet. A Vanyarin elf with approximately 30% Silvan and 10% Sindarin blood. Internet_Miners - Brother of the 1st king of the High-Elves( Glaerdir), Hand of the King, heir to the throne and Lord of Fangorn. He is the brother of the 1st king of the High-Elves, or actually, half-brother. They shared one parent as Glaerdir was 100% elf, while Internet_Miners had one human parent, one of the Swan Knights of Dol Amroth. This elf is truly amazing, no other elf would have accomplished what he has. He is a High-Elven lord and yet he is also lord of Fangorn and the ents there. He is very charismatic and he has showd great loyalty and wisdom to them, which is how he manged this great feat. The ents rally behind him as him he were the herald of Yavanna. He also spent some time among the Swan-knights and quickly advanced through the ranks. He is now Commander of the Order of the Swan Knights. Overlordess - Curanir (Bow-Wanderer), refering to her weapon and her constant exploring. A Noldorin elf with 25% Falmarin and 15% Sindarin blood. A true expert of the life in the wilderness and on the move. Gil-Galad '(formerly: AFbaloglu) - ''Elder. A wise and old elf of Lindon. He has been with us longer than most and has hence become wise and acts mostly as an advisor. '''Hayoo - Ciryatur, Lord of Vinyamar and cartographer of Lindon. Hayoo is the official Admiral of the navy of the High-Elves. Ciryatur is Quenya for "Admiral" and literally means "ship-ruler". Hayoo left Lindon many ages ago, becomming a mariner, exploring the ancient Númenorean ruins and cities for a good portion of his life. He has however now returned to his homeland with great wisdom of the seas and has through his expertise become the Admiral of the High-Elven Navy. OculosMortis (formerly: BMBIHNTR) - Turcarer, Lord of Mithlond and chief Architect( Turcarer) of the High-Elves. '' '''OculosMortis' is a Noldorin elf, he was raised among the rangers of the North because his father lived there with them. There it was discovered that he had great talent in giving shape to things. This talent was later enhanced towards creating marvelous building for the chieftain of the North. OculosMortis has since his arrival in Lindon gained much fame and was also given the title Chief Architect of the High-Elves by the 2nd King after proving his worth. His most famed build among the elves is the rebuilding of Mithlond, a truly marvelous wonder to behold. Turcarer is Quenya for Architect, which in turn stems from Greek and means "chief builder". The word Turcarer is neoQuenya (Tolkien didnt translate this word himself, but his students did, using the rules he left behind) and consists of the elements: "turco" = "chief" + "car-" = "to build/make" + "-r" = an ending denoting that the person is the "doer" of the verb, hence: build''er''. SirCopacetic - A Noldorin elf of Mithlond, father of OculosMortis. He spent much of his life among the Rangers of the North and also raised his son among these skilled men. KatSplat - A Noldorin elf of Mithlond, mother of OculosMortis. HurtLokker - A Noldorin elf of Mithlond, brother of OculosMortis. IronRyts '(formerly: RycoFlyerBear) - ''Lord of Rivendell. '''Afghan_Kidd - Lord Herenyon Hesto, Lord of Aironost. ''A great Mariner of the elves and Captain( Quenya => "Hesto") of the navy (directly under the command of Admiral Hayoo) and lord of the Herenyar. '''vaclav999' - Lord of Arta ion Estaryan Elen RiskTakingInc '''(formerly: Sodori) - An elf of Forlindon. Lived in the blue mountains for a while. '''tommylyons10 - An elf of Aironost, one of the Herenyar. VictorReznof - An elf of Aironost, one of the Herenyar. John0216 - An elf of Rivendell robot_AI - An elf of Lindon, but the whereabouts are kept secret. Blueynuey '''- An elf of Harlond. '''CRT15 - An elf of Mardalcar. F4M3xFTW - Founder of Mardalcar. This elf has kind of a shady past, will he be able to earn trust and become a respected elf?. ''Former Players: *'Glaerdir''' * Glorfindell( now known as Celleborn), former elv of Rivendell. * stevethebuffalo - Former Lord of Eregion. After leaving Eregion he embraced his Dúnedain heritage and started a new faction, the graycloaks, dedicated to protect Middle-Earth from foul creatures. * cpt_butterpants - Former Steward of Eregion. Steward and second-in-command to the Lord of Eregion. After leaving Eregion he embraced his Dúnedain heritage and joined the newly formed faction of his Lord, the graycloaks, dedicated to protect Middle-Earth from foul creatures. Builds/Regions Lindon: Mithlond - The Capital of the High-Elves, located at the Gulf of Lhûn (Lune). OculosMortis (formerly BMBIHNTR) is main builder and Lord of Mithlond. The city is located near the corresponding fast travel point in the center of Lindon. Vinyamar - A suburb of Mithlond, this elven city is ruled by Hayoo. This city, according to the legend came into existance when some surviving Noldorin elves of the 1st age decided to rebuild a smaller version of the city Vinyamar, first city of the Noldor in Middle-Earth. It later became a suburb of Mithlond due to its close proximity of the city and the inhabitants originally being from Mithlond. Elenost - The "Star-Castle", Fortress of the 2nd High King of the High-Elves SinzPet 'and his wife, the ''Queen, '''Valetty. Somewhere in the great forest surrounding the capital lies the great star-fortress of the king. Only a privileged few have ever seen it. Arta ion Estaryan Elen - A fortress being built mainly by vaclav999. The foundation of the fortress and its' original plans were created by the first High King of the High-Elves Glaerdir '''before his mysterious dissappearance. The name means the Fortress of the First-Rising Star. {A more accurate name would be "arta minyortala eleno". } Arataurë - A great forest surrounding Mithlond and the adjacent regions. The forest used to only cover a relatively small region near Mithlond but has since grown and spread tremendously, now its size is unknown. Arataurë is the domain of '''SinzPet and Valetty, those two lived here before Mithlond was even built. King Glaerdir '''bought some of their land close to the entrance of the forest in order to build his capital and in the process Arataurë became an official name of the forest in its infancy. Arataurë is Quenya and roughly means "noble-wood". Mardalcar - A city on the shores of Forlindon. Founded by '''F4M3xFTW. The name of the city is in Quenya, and means "halls of glory". Lone-Lands: Rivendell - A haven city to all travelers who bid no evil to the elves who live here. It is currently being built by IronRyts, Lord of Rivendell. The city is located near the corresponding fast travel point in the Lone Lands, east of the Trollshaws. Eregion: Ost-in-edhil - The lost Noldorin kingdom of Eregion, built by stevethebuffalo with cpt_butterpants. They left the High-Elves to start their own faction, thus leaving Ost-in-edhil in ruins. Now Eregion is still part of the High-Elven lands, though it no longer has a High-Elven Lord. Instead it has been granted to the Valarian Ambassadors upon Middle-Earth, ChildWalrus( Creator of the mod "Mevans") and Glaerdir( Admin "MG"), while they choose to stay in mortal lands. Tol-Morwen: Aironost - Built and ruled by Afghan_Kidd, Lord Herenyon, Lord of Aironost. An elven city located upon Tol Morwen Island. The High-Elves that live on that island are known as the Herenyar. The city is located near the fast travel point Tol Morwen, an island in the far west of middle-earth. According to the legend, a fleet of High-Elves sailing for the undying lands laid anchor here on their journey. Some fell in love with the island and stayed behind, thus creating Aironost, the ocean-fortress. Diplomacy Here you will be able to find everything about the politics and foreign affairs of the High-Elves, the diplomacy if you will. The high-elves are eternal combatants against evil in Middle-Earth, and as such are allied with most other factions who fight against evil. Some alliances are informal and some are formalized and put into a contract. You will also find our rules and guidelines here. Code of conduct: The code of conduct is a set of rules( Laws) which all High-Elves must follow. These are the laws of the High-Elves: *The rules of the server must of course allways be followed. This is especially important for us High-Elves! We are the purest beings in Middle-Earth. It should go against your very core to break the rules. *When choosing your heritage: High-Elves are not allowed to claim that they are related to the characters of LOTR, nor to claim that they "are" the characters themselves. We are also not allowed to claim that we have died once and then returned to life. Most High-Elves have Noldorin blood, but could potentially also have Vanyarin or Falmarin blood. Falmarin blood would be very rare. Sindarin and Silvan blood could also be present, as many High-Elves had kids with them. Read more about this under "Choosing your heritage!" further down. *When accepting High-Elven citizenship you swear loyalty to the High-Elves & never to reveal our secrets. *All High-Elves must honor the rules and guidelines laid out by the alliance contracts with other factions. *We High-Elves dont kill players from any allied factions. Alliances: Here you will find a list of our allies, both formal and informal alliances and a list of factions that we are neutral with. In case there is a formal contract, all High-Elves must follow the terms of the contract. Formal alliances: *Lothlóriën, This is an alliance contract. This contract binds the High-Elves and the elves of Lothlóriën in an alliance. The alliance entails the following: -The citizens of the two factions will not kill or harm each other. -They will neither prohibit nor hinder the trade of goods between their factions. -They will refrain from direct or indirect defamation or degradation of the other faction. -They will work together to best benefit both factions. -They will aid each other in times of great hardship. Although no such oath is given to aid in times of war. -The two factions may recruit soldiers from the other faction who are then considered part of that faction's army for the remainder of that war. Meaning: the rest of the faction wont be obliged to join the war even if one of their soldiers is fighting for the other faction. -Citizens of Lothlóriën have the right to recieve visas to the cities of the High-Elves. -Citizens of the High-Elves have the right to stay in the cities of Lothlóriën indefinitely. And to build a 32x32x32 structure where ever they desire, except near any Fast Travel Points. We swear to uphold these guidelines and honor our alliance. Signed by: SinzPet, High King of the High-Elves. Celleborn, Lord of Lothlóriën. Informal alliances: *Hobbits *Rangers of the North *Gondor *Fangorn *Dwarven Lords' Council *Wood-Elves *Rohan *Tauredain Neutral factions, the factions which we are neutral towards: *Dunland Joining the High-Elves: If you are an elf in your heart, if you are loyal and true, if you love the beauty of nature and if you think that the elves really are your cup of tea, you are Welcome into our ranks! By joining the High-Elves you swear to uphold our code of conduct, which can be found under "Diplomacy" -> "Code of Conduct". All you have to do is get the attention of one of the "higher" lords/ladies( which can be found below) or one of their "lesser" lords/ladies( which can also be found below) and request to join. You also need 100 alignment with the high-elves, which you get from killing Gundabad or Angmar orcs, or doing quests with the elves of Lindon. Higher lords/ladies have the authority to grant you a "Citizenship ID", while the lesser lords/ladies only have the authority to grant you a "visa" to their respective cities. The higher Lords and Ladies: *'SinzPet' *'Internet_Miners' *'Hayoo' *'OculosMortis' *'IronRyts' *''''Overlordess' *Gil-Galad' *'Afghan_kidd''' The lesser Lords and Ladies: *'SirCopacetic' *'vaclav999' *'VictorReznof' Once you have notified a higher lord/lady of your intentions to join us, and you have been granted citizenship, you will be free to choose your own heritage( as long as you follow the rule concerning this). Meaning, you create the history behind your character, you choose what race of elves your ancestors were and in that way what elven race your character is. But keep in mind, your character must have at least some Vanyarin or Noldorin blood, else it would not be a high-elf. Once that is done (its completely optional btw, it just enhances RolePlay :D) you can add that info on this wiki, under players. Once you are accepted you can also settle down in what ever region controlled by the high-elves that you'd like. The regions in which you can choose to live: Lindon, Largest region of the High-Elves and where the Capital is located. Rivendell and the areas around it, in the Lone-Lands. Eregion, west of the Misty Mountains. Tol Morwen and the surrounding islands. In these regions are of course many cities and builds, in which you may be granted to stay if you prove your worth and loyalty to the lord of that build. List of Banished players, players who will never be allowed to join the High-Elves: *'Corrupted_Knight' / Phaellym / Cocidius Choosing your heritage! You as an elf are'' free to choose ur own heritage :) . '''Except you are not allowed' to claim kinship to the well know elven characters of the Lord of the Rings and such, nor to claim that u in fact "are" one of them. Here on the Server we make our own History! Here is some help along the way, with general descriptions of the different elves & at the bottom of the page( in th Gallery) you can find pictures of most of these different types of elves: General description of Elves: Elves in general are described as the most fair creatures of Middle-Earth. They all have relatively pale( fair) skin. Elves have pointed ears, are generally tall( about 6 feet( 182,88 cm)) and had keener senses, sight and hearing than Men. They were slender, graceful yet strong and were resistant to extremes of nature, illness and disease. Elves love the beauty of nature, especially water, the Sea and the stars, since they were the first things they saw. Elves are also more agile than men, but not necessarily stronger. Elven men do not have beards( some exceptions exist, read further down under ""Cycles of life" and aging") and elven women are kind of like men, ''with broad sholders and fairily flat chests. Hair color varies between "races", but note that '''not one single elf ever had completely black hair'. Vanyar: The Vanyar only came back to Middle-Earth in the War of Wrath, but some may have stayed or had children in middle-earth? And some did have children with Nolorin elves before they came to middle-earth at the beginning of the frst age. The Vanyar were the tallest of the elves, they had blonde hair and they had very pale skin, hence their name, the "fair-elves". They are also some times called the "spear-elves" because of their preferance for spears, as opposed to the sword and shield of the Noldor or the bow and arrow of the Teleri. They love poetry, peace '''and harmony''' and they are known for their wisdom. The Vanyar have grey eyes. Their habitat is usually mountains. Noldor: The Noldor came back to Middle-Earth at the beginning of the first age, nearly all high-elves upon Middle-Earth were Noldor, or at least had some Noldo blood in their veins. Noldo means knowledgeable in Quenya, their language. They are also some times called the "deep-elves", refering to their deep knowledge. They mostly have very dark brown hair or in VERY rare cases red hair. Noldorin elves mostly have grey eyes. They are slightly shorter than the Vanyar. They have a great love of knowledge and crafts, one could even say they have a hunger for knowledge. Their prefered weapons are the sword and shield. The Noldor were also more fond of living in and building big cities than the other elves. Teleri: The Telerin elves were the most numerous of the elves and therefore made more variations possible. The Teleri split into various sub-groups. Teler means Hindmost in Quenya and refers to them being last on the great journey because of their huge numbers. Another name was also Lindar, the singers, refering to their love of music and fair voices. Telerin elves are a little shorter than the Noldor. Their hair color is mostly brown( many shades of brown exist) although their "royal" bloodlines and perhaps some other individuals could have silver hair. They mostly had grey or brown eyes, although in some very rare cases (like Olwë), Telerin elves could have blue eyes. They love water, simplicity, and the color green. They are the least likely to seek or desire power. While the Noldor built great cities, the Teleri lived in simple dwellings such as the 'flets' of Doriath and Lothlorien. The Teleri have a strong connection to nature and its cycles and have far less interest in the Valar than the Noldor and Vanyar, preferring the company of their own people and other Elven cultures. The Teleri value silver more than gold and have a love for pearls, boats and shorebirds such as swans. The Teleri mostly used bow and arrow in battle. Falmari, sub-group of the Teleri: Most of the Teleri of the great journey left for Valinor after their king Elwë went missing, these elves took his brother Olwë as king, and these elves are the Falmari, the "sea-elves". It is quite possible for a high-elf of Middle-Earth to have some Falmarin blood, as the Falmari and the Noldor were great friends before the kinslaying and many of them had children. Although, not much of this blood would have been left among the elves of middle-earth in the third age. The Falmari were slightly taller than the other Telerin elves as they lived within sight of the light of Valinor, and much wiser. They were mostly known for their pearls, music and swan-ships. These elves live by the sea. Hair and eye color are mostly those common among the Teleri. Sindar, sub-group of the Teleri: Most of the elves of Beleriand were Sindar, "grey-elves". They mostly stayed in Lindon after Beleriand sunk, but some who hated the Noldor moved east, to Mirkwood and Lóriën. They became the fairest and most wise and skillful of the elves of Middle-earth under the rule of Thingol and Melian the Maia in Doriath, and they are therefore sometimes referred to as "Elves of the Twilight" being neither true dark-elves nor light-elves'. ' The Sindar lived in Cave-dwelling'''s in the wooded hills or in '''coastal Havens, they were acknowledged Craftsmen although no match for the Noldor. They were great Singers as were all of the Teleri and valued hunters. Hair and eye color are mostly those common among the Teleri. The Falathrim( "shore-elves", sub-group of the Sindar) were prized for their Shipbuilding skills and prowess as Mariners. The Sindar often used axes and bows in battle. Silvan, sub-group of the Teleri: Most elves of Middle-Earth in the third age were Silvan elves( "Wood-elves"). They were the forest-dwelling elves of Middle-Earth. In the late Third Age, the Silvan Elves mostly belonged either to the Galadhrim or to the Elves of Mirkwood. The Silvan Elves were descendants of the Nandor (and thus in origin Teleri), who had lingered in the Anduin Vales during the Great Journey of the Eldar in the Elder Days. The Silvan Elves hid themselves in their woodland realms beyond the Misty Mountains and became a scattered folk hardly distinguishable from Avari( those elves who refused the summons of the Valar). While some of the Nandor continued to Eriador and later entered Ossiriand( these were the Laiquendi, the "green-elves"), some remained in the Vales of Anduin, and from these latter originated the Wood-elves. It is also told that the some of the western Avari, dwelling in Eriador and the Anduin Vales, were friendly to the Eldar, and came to merge with the Wood-elves. These were Nelyarin Avari (Penni), from the third Clan (and therefore remotely akin to the Nandor and Sindar). When Beleriand sunk, many Sindar who didn't like the Noldor came to the homes of the Silvan (Mirkwood and Lóriën) and merged with them. Then about 1500 years later when Eregion fell, Noldor refugees came to Lóriën and merged with the Silvan elves there, making the Silvan elves a very mixed race. The Silvan Elves of Mirkwood are described as distrustful of Dwarves, but friendly to Men. Hair and eye color are mostly those common among the Teleri, but they often had dark or grey eyes. Those of Sindarin descend more often had a rather pale white skin-tone while those of Avarin descend often showed lavender or olive complexion. The wood-elves lived inside the dense forest Lands, most were Hunters and Gatherers but many have also had become planters and the gardens and vinyards of the Wood-Elf realms were legendary. They were also skilled Crafters, they were fabled Weavers, Fletchers as well as '''Wood- and leather-workers '''for the Wood-elves were the only Folk who knew the secret of Oak-leather-making. The Elven life cycle: Early life: Elves are born about one year from their conception. The day of their conception is celebrated, not the actual birthday itself—since for them, life begins at conception. Their minds develop quicker than their bodies; by their first year, they can speak, walk and even dance, and their quicker onset of mental maturity makes young Elves seem older than they actually are. Their bodies mature until they are the maturity of a 25-years-old human and then their bodies stop changing. Physical puberty comes in around their fiftieth to one hundredth year (by age fifty they reach their adult height), and by their first hundred years of life outside the womb all Elves are fully grown. Elves' bodies develop slower than those of Men from the start. In their twenties, they might still appear physically seven years old, whereas Men at the same age are physically mature. Sexuality, marriage and parenthood: Elves marry freely and for love early in life. Monogamy is practiced and adultery is unthinkable; they only marry once. Spouses can choose each other long before they are married and be betrothed. The betrothal is subject to parental approval unless the parties are of age and intend to marry soon, at which point the betrothal is announced at a meeting of the two houses, during which the couple exchange rings (silver). The betrothal lasts at least a year, and is revocable by the return of the rings (but is rarely broken). After their formal betrothal, the couple appoints a time for the wedding when at least a year has passed. Marriage is celebrated at a feast of the two houses. The spouses return their betrothal rings and receive others( gold) worn on their index fingers. The bride’s mother gives the groom a jewel to be worn, but the marriage is only achieved with its consummation. Technically, only the words exchanged by the bride and groom (including the speaking of the name of Eru) and the consummation are required for marriage. For an elf, there is nothing "sexier" than beautiful hair. Thats why all the elves in the movies have such gorgeous hair. This is also why an elf spends alot of time "making their hair pretty". The Elves view the sexual act as extremely special and intimate, for it leads to the conception and birth of children. Extra-marital and premarital sex are unthinkable—indeed, the Elves would regard them as contradictions in terms. Because adultery is also unheard of and fidelity between spouses is absolute, spouses can sometimes live separately for extended periods of time. However, a sundering during pregnancy or during the early years of parenthood (caused by war, for example) is so grievous to the couple that they prefer to have children in peaceful times. Elves have few children, as a rule; and there are relatively sizable intervals between each child. They are soon preoccupied with other pleasures; their libido wanes and they focus their interests elsewhere, such as the arts. Nonetheless, they take great delight in the union of love, and they cherish the days of bearing and raising children as the happiest times of their lives. Daily life: The Elves preoccupy themselves with various things, such as smithwork, sculpture, music, and other arts. Males and females can do almost everything equally; however, the females often specialize in the arts of healing while the men go to war. This is because the Elves believe that taking life interferes with the ability to preserve life. However, Elves do not have rigid gender roles; females can defend themselves at need as well as males, and many males are skilled healers as well, such as Elrond. "Cycles of life" and aging: Elves had no beards, at least until their "third cycle of life", like Círdan. Mahtan, father of the wife of Fëanor, was an exception, and had a beard in his early "second cycle". The Elvish beardlessness could also be observed in Mannish lines with an Elvish strain (as in the princely house of Dol Amroth), which lacked beards. It is unclear what these cycles exactly are. A logical sense would be that the first cycle is childhood and adolescence, the second is adulthood, and the third is for extremely old Elves; Círdan was the most ancient known Elf on Middle-earth. Apparently, beards were the only sign of further natural physical aging beyond maturity. Elves did not physically age over their 100th year but they did age in a different sense than Men: they became ever more weary of the world and burdened by its sorrows, sometimes they appeared to age under great stress. Círdan seemed to be aged himself, since he is described as looking old, save for the stars in his eyes; this may be due to all the sorrows he had seen and lived through since the First Age. Also, the people of Nargothrond had trouble recognizing Gwindor after his time as a prisoner of Morgoth. Gallery: Jenny Dolfen - Fields of Gold - Vanyarin elf.jpg|The picture shows a Vanyarin elf in a field of gold. Gli-Galad y Elrond.jpg|The picture shows the Noldorin army at the war of the last alliance. (Commander Elrond to the left, High King Gil-Galad to the right) Osse and teleri by steamey-d66dk5e.jpg|The picture shows the Maia Ossë talking to the Teleri. Swan Maiden Eärwen of Alqualondë.jpg|The picture is of Eärwen, daughter of Olwë of Alqualondë. Untitled by kimberly80-d769daz.jpg|The picture is of Thingol, first king of the Sindar in Doriath. Wood-elves at Helms deep.jpg|The picture depicts Haldir and his Silvan elves at Helm's Deep __FORCETOC__